An Invitation on Valentines Day
by FeltonLewis
Summary: "I don't have to do anything, Malfoy. I'd like to, however, be alone." I said firmly. Did I really want to be alone today? No. Considering, however, that Malfoy was my only option, perhaps I'd rather be alone. "No one wants to be alone on Valentines Day." A Valentines Day one-shot about two individuals who secretly want nothing more than just a little bit of company.


** Hello everybody (: So I am pretty opposed to Valentines Day because I'm always single and just feel plain bad on this day every year. I know there are writers who write during particular events like Valentines Day and I've never done that but this time, I wanted to. I thought of writing an angsty piece because of my dislike of this day but then once I started writing, it wasn't so bad and it turned out to be the opposite of anything angsty. So this is what I ended up coming up with and I hope you liked it! xx**

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Valentines Day always had me in the same place every year. It was nothing fun, nothing exciting and nothing even remotely romantic. It was just another day where I would admittedly feel a little lonelier than usual. It was just another day where I would want to feel just a little more loved than usual but never really did.

"Granger, what the bloody hell are you doing here?" My head snapped up and I swore. Of all the people there were to walk into the library today, it had to be him.

"I, in case you did not already notice, am reading." I answered crisply, returning to my book.

"And there is, in case YOU did not already notice, a stupid friggin' party going on in the Great Hall being run by Potter and his bandwagon of hufflepuff hugging tossers." Malfoy said, sitting at the edge of the table beside me.

"Yes, I am aware." I said tiredly. "So what?"

"So what?" Malfoy scoffed. "Why exactly are you sitting here reading some-" He- rather rudely, might I add- snatched my book off the table and held the cover up to his face before tossing it back down in front of me, "-sickening love story all alone when I'm sure you're supposed to be downstairs?"

"It's none of your business, Malfoy. Why are you here? Last I heard, even Slytherin had joined in the celebrations." I leaned back in my seat and looked at him.

"Valentines Day is an absolute waste of time and money." He said, scowling.

"For once we agree on something." I said.

"Weasley not being a good boyfriend?" Malfoy smirked, grabbing a chair from beside him and sitting down.

"He's not my boyfriend." I snapped.

Malfoy raised his arms up in defence. "No need to get so snappy. You finally realised he's got the brains of a weasel then?"

"Do you not have anything better to do, Malfoy?" I sighed, feeling a head-ache coming along.

"Not really." He smirked. "Really, though, Granger, why aren't you downstairs?"

"Because Valentines Day isn't a happy day for me and my friends know that. They wanted to be with me but I insisted they have fun." I re-opened my book and placed it in front of me.

"Isn't a happy day for you? Whatever do you mean?"

"We're hardly friends, Malfoy. Let's not pretend we care about anything to do with each other."

"Come on, Granger. Humour me."

"I don't have to do anything, Malfoy. I'd like to, however, be alone." I said firmly. Did I really want to be alone today? No. Considering, however, that Malfoy was my only option, perhaps I'd rather be alone.

"No one wants to be alone on Valentines Day." He smirked, leaning back in his chair and stretching his arms above his head.

"Not even Draco Malfoy?" I quirked an eyebrow in his direction and his smirk faltered for a moment before appearing confident again.

He shrugged and I sighed, knowing I would not get a moment more of peace in the library. I pushed my chair behind and stood up, picking my book up. "I'm going to go up to my dorm, Malfoy."

"Is that an invitation?" He asked cockily and I rolled my eyes.

"Wouldn't want to sully yourself with a mudblood, though, would you?" I asked, tucking my chair in. He frowned.

"Come on, Granger, you know I don't actually believe in all that anymore." He said. I shrugged.

"Goodbye, Malfoy." I turned to leave.

"No, wait." I heard his chair being dragged away from the table and he was in front of me in a moment. "I'm serious." He did look it, I'll admit. "I don't believe in all that pureblood-muggleborn stuff. It's been a year and a half since the war and you know as well as I do that things have changed. We have changed. When was the last time I said something offensive to you?"

"Well you haven't exactly been friendly either." I said quietly.

"I've never found a reason to. Hell, it's always been Hermione Granger- house-elf hugging Gryffindor princess and war heroine- and Draco Mafoy- ex-death eater and all things awful. You think people would just accept it if we went around being friendly? They'd probably think I have some evil intention up my sleeve that will hurt you."

"Does it really matter what people think anymore?" I asked, fidgeting with the front cover of my book.

"I don't know, does it? Would you be alright if Weasley or Potter never spoke to you again because you're suddenly friendly with me?" He challenged and I didn't quite have an answer to that.

I shrugged instead. "I guess we'll never know."

"Yeah, I guess so." He said.

"I'll see you later, Malfoy." I turned around and began walking away but stopped at the end of the aisle. "My grandmother passed away on the fourteenth of February year before last- that's why it's not a happy day for me." I left the Library, not quite understanding why my heart suddenly yearned for company again. I had been so sure that I'd rather be alone than near Malfoy but why did it suddenly feel like being alone was the last thing I possibly wanted on this day?

Because it's Valentines Day, a small voice whispered at the back of my mind.

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"Fancy seeing you here." I looked up in time to see Malfoy sliding gracefully into the seat beside mine.

"I finished my book." I answered simply. "What are you doing here?"

"Needed to make sure Pansy didn't do something stupid while being heavily intoxicated." Malfoy smirked and we both looked in the black-haired Slytherin's direction where she was amidst another glass of wine.

"She's fine. She's got Theodore Nott and Blaise Zabini taking care of her." I said, watching Zabini pull the glass right out of her hand and lead her instead to the dance floor.

"Feeling any less lonely after coming down here?" The boy next to me asked.

I snorted in a rather unlady like fashion as I scanned the roomful of dancing and snogging couples. "Are you?"

"I didn't come here because I felt lonely." He scoffed.

"Sure, Malfoy." I smiled slightly. The lights went down and the music changed to play love songs. Fantastic, I thought drily.

It was silent for a few seconds before Malfoy spoke again- "I'm sorry about your grandmother, Granger."

I turned to look at him but he was staring intently at the table cloth. "Thank you but you don't have to be." I took a deep breath and rested my chin in my folded arms on the table. "How come you don't have a date for today?"

He shrugged. "Can't be bothered. Yourself?"

"There's never been anyone for me on Valentines Day." I muttered, not sure why I was telling him.

"Your friends are there."

"It's not the same." I said. "It's basically a single-awareness day."

"Celebrate your single self then, Granger. I never pegged you as the type who would sit and wallow in self pity."

"I'm not-"

"Yes, you are." He cut through my outraged protest. "But seriously- celebrate your single self. There are all these people-" He nodded towards the dancing couples- "who think that they've found their significant other half and are all ready to jump into marrying them and spending the rest of their lives with them when for all they know, they're just not meant to be- therefore, leading to a lot of heart break and tears. This is hardly the age to find love-"

I scoffed. "If you don't fall in love now, Malfoy, you're never falling in love. Your reasoning is all flawed."

He sighed. "Fine, then. Wallow in your self-pity, Granger. I was simply hoping to help."

"Thank you, Malfoy, I appreciate it. But nothing is going to make this better."

"I suppose you may be right."

"Malfoy admitting I'm right? There's a first for everything." I smiled slightly.

"Granger admitting she's lonely? There's definitely a first for everything." He smirked back at me. "You could always go back to the Library and read." It didn't sound very tempting anymore. At least there were people around here.

I cringed as Seamus lurched forward, too close to our table for comfort, and threw up.

"How are the Professors unaware of this?" I asked, frowning.

"Macgonagall isn't in Hogwarts today and apparently since this is our last month here, the other professors are turning a blind eye towards it." Malfoy said. "Anywho, as much as I enjoyed this immensely-" He drawled out sarcastically after a few seconds of silence "-I am going to head to the kitchens for a bite."

"Is that an invitation?" I mumbled, knowing I was going to lose my only single company soon.

"If you want it to be." My eyes flew upwards to meet his dark grey ones as he stood up and brushed his pants down.

"I- What?" I stuttered.

"Don't read into it too much, Granger. You can come or you can stay." He said and I then picked up something in his eyes that made me laugh out loud.

"You WANT me to come, don't you? You don't want to be alone!" I laughed, enjoying the feeling of a genuine smile stretching across my face.

"What?! No!" He protested, outraged. "I just didn't think you'd want to be lonely!"

"Growing soft are you, Malfoy?" I chuckled, standing up beside him.

"You're the one coming- how do you explain that?" He challenged back.

"I'm just coming to make sure you don't bully the house-elves." I lifted my head high with mock haughtiness.

He allowed himself a small smile before shaking his head and heading towards the doors of the Great Hall. I took a deep breath, barely gave it a second thought, and followed out after him. Perhaps it is needless to say, the next couple of hours were spent down in the kitchens and it wasn't anything exciting, nothing remotely romantic, but it was a change. A welcome change. I guess you can never truly be alone on a day such as this one. Sometimes, you don't need to be in love to have a good time with somebody. Sometimes, you just need to take a chance. And for all you know, that one chance that you took could turn in to a whole lot more.

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**So that's that haha. I hope that wasn't too awful a piece- I just wanted to write something for today so it's pretty rough and all- but it's something. **

**Do review and let me know what you think!**

**Happy Valentines Day everyone, I love you guys (:**

**FeltonLewis xx**


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